Eyes crusty, yawning, I stumbled out of bed at the unusually early time of 6:30 on Saturday morning.

I did not have a midterm that required last minute studying, nor did I want to beat the breakfast rush at Lost Lake. I was determined to go skiing, with the help of Seattle University’s Outdoor Adventure Recreation.

I dealt with the short walk from Campion to the Bellarmine turnaround to catch the 7 a.m. departure to Stevens Pass. Thanks to the trip leader Brendan Kihoe driving, I was able to catch a few more precious winks of sleep before arriving at the mountain for the first chair. It was a wet day at Stevens, with rain at the base turning painfully close to snow at the top of the mountain. Although my fellow skiers ended the day much more soaked than usual, it was a day out, and a day doing what we all love.

Coming from the midsize town of Missoula, MT, I am extremely lucky to have access to skiing only a short drive away. However, my fix for strapping two boards to the bottom of my feet has been slightly more difficult to achieve since moving to Seattle. But with the aid of OAR, getting out can seem like less daunting of a task. Being home for Christmas break allowed me to regain my love of skiing, prompting me to get my gear out and start looking for opportunities. That’s where OAR stepped in.

Reaching the Pacific Northwest’s great outdoors often means a long drive away from the urban sprawl of Seattle for Seattle U students. Since many undergraduate students do not have cars, the OAR’s SnoVan is the perfect outlet for the avid skier or snowboarder. For just $5, students can pile up on weekends and share the fresh air with fellow students.

Kihoe, like many others, found that skiing at his local Mt. Hood growing up was a little more accessible than areas around Seattle. His involvement with OAR has changed that.

“Aside from going outdoors, I don’t see the need to have a car in Seattle,” Kihoe explained.

The SnoVan is an ideal resource to get people off campus and on the slopes.
Kihoe has also taken part in other trips this year, including multiple hikes during fall quarter, a mountain biking excursion, and now the SnoVan. Kihoe attests that his enjoyment with being involved with Seattle U stretches far outside the classroom.

“I like (this) type of leadership; being involved with the school outside of academics. I’ve grown to enjoy it,” Kihoe said.

Kihoe has also seen many different levels of ability on the SnoVan, with seasoned veterans being joined by occasional first time skiers.

In addition to the weekly SnoVan, OAR offers other snow adventures. Overnight trips to Mt. Bachelor in Bend, Oregon and Mt. Baker in Washington are coming up over the next few weeks. And as the snow melts, climbing, hiking, and mountain biking will all remain the focus of future OAR trips. The events can be viewed on the Seattle U website, at OAR’s activity calendar.